


Tale as Old as Time, Song as Old as Rhyme.

by Ravenoftheskyes



Category: Genei Ibun Roku #FE | Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE
Genre: AU where TMSFE is basically actual fire emblem, Gen, Let Sakamoto Ryuji Say Fuck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-29
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:15:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 11,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27271048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenoftheskyes/pseuds/Ravenoftheskyes
Summary: Idola and Technolia. Performa and Sciencia. Seven young heroes fight for the lives of so many.
Relationships: Akagi Touma & Oribe Tsubasa, Akagi Touma & Yumizuru Eleonora, Akagi Touma/Aoi Itsuki, Aoi Itsuki & Oribe Tsubasa, Arisato Minako & Kirijo Mitsuru, Background Kirijo Mitsuru/Takeba Yukari, Kurono Kiria/Tsurugi Yashiro, Tsurugi Yashiro & Kurono Kiria
Comments: 11
Kudos: 9





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I wanna thank my friend Ame for helping me flesh this idea out! She’s great!!

Performa and Sciencia. Two sisters who founded two continents. Performa founded Idola, and she gave them the ability to power their world with the heart of entertainment. Sciencia founded the continent of Technolia, and their power came from diligence to study the inner workings of magic.

Our story starts nineteen years ago, on the continent of Technolia. 

When a bastard heir is born to the queen with the strangest eyes and hair ever seen on the continent. 

“Magic.” They called it. “This child was born because magic caused one of the parents to be forced into the conception of this child.” 

The father was blamed, when he was the victim. Who would believe the queen would force a commoner into her bed through magic? 

And the father took his son and ran far. Everyone assumed the child died. 

But he didn’t. The child had been taken to Idola, where his eyes may have been unique, but his uniqueness was celebrated. 

And the bastard heir of Technolia was named Yashiro. 

And that’s when his father figured out that Idola was where they truly belonged. 

For fourteen years, the boy was taught in the ways of the heart’s magic, and his spirit soared, never being aware of his heritage. 

A pair of girls a couple of years older than him would always hang around, curious about his movements. 

Kiria and Ayaha, their names were. 

And then, one day, Yashiro and his father wrote an opera. An opera that would star the 16 year old Ayaha Oribe.

And that’s when Sciencia realized that the child had not died. 

He was alive. And he was being trained in the ways of her sister. 

And she grew angry. 

At fourteen years of age, Yashiro Tsurugi became an orphan and lost one of his only friends to Sciencia’s wrath. 

Tiki, a divine dragon. Naga-blood. She saved him, Ayaha’s sister, and Kiria. 

Ayaha’s sister was taken to the palace, to be trained as a Pegasus Knight. 

Kiria stuck by him, through all those years. 

And five years later, at 19, Yashiro Tsurugi is still one of the three survivors of the mass disappearance, the right hand to the leader of the rebellion against Idola’s royalty, and myrmidon extraordinaire. 

Five years later, at 21, Kiria Kurono is another of the three, the other second-in-command to the rebellion, and master mage. 

Five years later is where the story of these two connects to the story of another three. 

The story of a Lord, a Cavalier, and a Pegasus Knight. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter but also this is a good way to point out that some of the members of my TMS extended universe’ll be showing up: IE, the PTs, the IT, and SEES.

A certain bluenette lord steps out of a carriage, and is immediately greeted by the captain of the Pegasus Knights. 

“Milord, how have you been?” The Captain says, as she bows. 

“Very well, thank you, Captain Minako.”

“Of course.” She says. And then she winks and ruffles his hair.

“That’s more what I was expecting.” 

“Aw, you were waiting for it, Itsuki?”

“Not waiting for, expecting it.”

Itsuki smiled, as Minako snapped her fingers. 

This was Minako Arisato, 24 years old, youngest ever captain of the Pegasus Knights. 

“You know me, Lordling.”

“Please stop calling me that.” 

“No. You may be a lord, but you’re still adorable. Now, how was the trip?”

“It was fine. A lot of stuffy royals and Technolian talk I didn’t understand. I’m glad to be back home, I wasn’t able to train over there.”

“Well, welcome home! We missed ya!” 

Itsuki was quickly reminded of someone. 

“Is Minato back yet?”

“Nah. My little bro’s still stuck in strategy meetings on the other side of the kingdom.”

“I feel like I’m obligated to point out that he’s only 5 minutes younger than you are.” 

“Eh? I thought you were on my side!”

“I mean, you two are twins.” 

“Ha! I’m still older!”

“Stop bullying your brother when he’s not around to defend himself, eh?” A silver-haired man walked over. 

“Aw, Yu! You’re no fun!” Minako said, flicking her ponytail aside. 

Yu Narukami, 22 years old, youngest ever infantry captain. 

“You may be a bad influence on our little Lordling here.”

Itsuki put his head in his hands. 

“Please. I’m begging you. Stop calling me that.”

Yu and Minako smiled and spoke in perfect unison. 

“No.”


	3. Chapter 3

Yu let out a chuckle before pointing out a Pegasus Knight and Cavelier training in the back. 

“Touma and Tsubasa have missed you, maybe you should say hi.” 

Minako smiled. 

“Yeah, they have. Go say hi, we can catch up later!”

Itsuki waved bye and bolted over to his friends. 

“Touma! Tsubasa!”

The pair looked up at their names being called, and two identical smiles formed on their faces. 

“Itsuki! Hey!” Tsubasa yelled, running over and tripping…

...Directly onto Touma. 

Touma looked up from the ground. 

“As you can see, nothing’s changed.” 

Itsuki winced in sympathy and helped the both of them up. 

“Your legs…?”

“Just fine. I think they’re indestructible at this point.” 

Itsuki let out a small chuckle. 

“I missed you two.”

“We missed you too! You’re the only sword user anywhere near our skill level! The others wipe the floor with us in ten seconds flat!” Touma says. 

“Is that really the only reason you missed him?” Tsubasa looked over. 

“...I mean, no, I missed you as a friend, but like, also, training.”

Itsuki smirked. 

“Last time I checked, I still have an unbroken win streak spanning the past month.”

“And I’m about to break it!” Touma said, twirling his lance. Captain Mitsuru says that if I can beat you, I’m ready to move onto basic sword techniques!”

Itsuki grabbed a training sword from the rack beside them and held it out. 

“Hm, not worried about messing up your fancy clothes?” Touma winked. 

“You’ll need the handicap of me being able to move less.” 

“Alright then! If you lose don’t blame me!”

“I won’t be losing.”

“I have the Weapon Triangle advantage.”

“You should know me better by now. I’m not exactly one to rely on the Weapon Triangle.”

Touma lunged, and Itsuki dodged out of the way. 

Touma lost his balance, and the fight was over before it began. 

Legs were kicked out, and the training sword was at Touma’s neck. 

“I believe that’s checkmate.”

“...Have you been practicing?”

“Nope, you just got too excited.”

“I won’t argue with that.” 

Itsuki held his hand out and pulled Touma up. 

“You’ve got a long way to go, Hero.”

“Ha, you’re right.”

_Hero. I remember when I started calling you that…_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna point this out, this chapter is skippable! It’s just Itsuki/Touma ship fuel, you don’t have to read it!

_ Three years ago… _

_ The sunrise after a night of training. _

“I’ve always had dreams of being an actor.” Touma said. “I… I want to become a hero on stage.”

“Really? Why?” Itsuki said back. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me. Just because I’m your friend doesn’t mean that I need to know everything about you.”

“Nah, it’s okay. When I was young, my bio parents ran off. I don’t know where they are, they could be in Technolia for all I care. They were in severe debt and… kinda just left me. I was supposed to be adopted by my grandpa, but I ended up getting adopted by a friend of his. They already had four kids, but they took me in. I’m so grateful for them… but that isn’t the point here.” 

Touma closed his eyes and shook his head. 

Itsuki reached over and grabbed Touma’s hand. 

“It’s okay if you’re not able to talk about it. Just relax.”

“No. I’m fine. Just give me a second. It’s a little hard to talk about, but... I want you to know.”

“Take all the time you need, Touma.”

The redhead breathed in and out slowly. 

“I was so  _ so  _ upset when my parents left. I didn’t know whether I even deserved love anymore. Like… aren’t your parents supposed to love you unconditionally?”

“You do, I can promise you that.”

“I… I know that now, but back then I’d lost almost all faith in the world and in myself, and the only thing that pulled me out of it were those weekly hero shows. Every Saturday morning, I’d go with my sister to watch them, and I’d see the hero almost go down. But they always got back up without losing hope, and it made me feel like I could do that too. It’s almost like… it saved me.”

“...And now you want to be the person that saved you for other kids just like you?”

“Exactly.”

“Well, you are a hero already. You’re my hero.”

“...Thanks. I’ll never stop training so that I can do two things. I can become a hero, and I can protect you.” 

“Thank you, Touma. You’ve been by my side for… two years now? You and Tsubasa are my best friends. And I need you both to trust me to protect you. I don’t know what I’d do without either of you.”

“You’re the prince, it’s my job to protect you. And, you’re my friend. I’d die if it meant you would live.”

“Please, don’t say things like that. I’d much rather you stay alive. I’m the leader, if anyone should die for his friends and subjects, it should be me.”

“...How about this? We agree that we’ll protect each other.”

“Deal.”

And Itsuki remembers the sun rising, and the way it illuminated his best friend. That’s when he realized. Touma was like the dawn. Rising like the sun each time. 

He remembers the feather-light touch of rough, calloused hands brushing a strand of hair from his face. 

...And he remembers his heart pounding. 

And that was when the sun rose, and the tender moment was broken. 

Sometimes he doesn’t know if the last part of the morning was just a dream. 

All he knew is that he craved another moment like that, but it never came. They kept an unspoken distance. 

Was there a name for this feeling? Was there a name for the desire to be so much closer to his friend? 

Hell if he knew. 

“Itsuki…” 

He remembers the tone his name was said in, the… the  _ reverence.  _ And not the kind he got from the citizens. The kind that only one perso- 

“Itsuki!” 

Tsubasa’s voice snapped him out of his reverie. 

“Right, Tsubasa. What is it?”

She looked over. 

“You zoned out for a second there.”

_ A second? I feel like I lived through that hour again… _

“Ah, sorry. I was just remembering back when I…” He trailed off. 

_ No… I want to keep that moment to myself. It’s probably selfish, but that one moment is ours, and no one can take it.  _

“Back when you what, Itsuki?”

“It’s nothing.” 

He snuck a glance at his redheaded friend, and he knew the same moment ran through his head. That he also spent nights wishing that it could happen again. 

...And he also knew it couldn’t.


	5. Chapter 5

Tsubasa speaks up as the trio walks into the castle. 

“Well, I’ve been practicing my singing!”

Itsuki smiled. 

“Great job, Tsubasa! It’s been a while since you’ve been able to sing, right?” 

“Yeah… after the… well…”

Itsuki winced at that. 

“Right. The Mass Disappearance.”

“I was one of three survivors. I don’t know why I was spared, but…”

“I’ve heard from the clerics that you have quite a lot of Performa’s strength. Maybe that’s why you were able to defend yourself.”

“Maybe…” 

Touma glanced over and tried to bring the mood back up. 

“Why don’t you try singing something?” He asked, and flashed a smile. 

Tsubasa smiled a bit and opened her mouth. 

But before she could make a sound, another voice echoed through the empty halls. 

_Embrace the dark!_

Everyone fell into a defensive stance, and more of the song came into their ears. 

_You call a home!_

The door blew open and a cloaked figure stood in front of it. 

_Gaze upon an empty white throne!_

She threw the cloak off, revealing the outfit of a dark mage. 

_A legacy of lies, a familiar disguise!_

A blue sigil appeared at her feet, and she raised her hand. 

_Sing with me a song of conquest and fate!_

And out of nowhere, she kicked Touma’s lance out of his hand and froze Tsubasa’s hands together. 

_The black pillar cracks beneath its weight!_

She snatched Itsuki’s sword from his hands and used the hilt to knock him down. 

_Night breaks through the day, hard as a stone, lost in thoughts all alone!_

At that last lyric, an ice burst came from her hands and froze all three of them. 


	6. Chapter 6

The girl smirked, and flipped her green hair out of her face. 

“You can come out now, thanks for the backup.”

“Any time, Kiria.” Yashiro muttered, as he escaped from the shadows. 

“Mizu, you still there?” Kiria said.

A girl with long black hair and a purple dancer’s ribbon tied between her hands entered from another room. 

“Of course. I won’t abandon us like that, Kiri.” 

Kiria’s smirk grew into a small chuckle. 

“Wasn’t implying that. Now, how about us flying out of here?” 

“Haru and my Pegasi are outside.” 

“Haru doesn’t have a Pegasus…” Kiria muttered. 

“My sister Haru, not Noir.”

And then Kiria facepalmed. 

“We need to use the nicknames for them, I swear.” 

“We do…”

The three of them dragged the frozen kids onto the waiting Pegasi. 

“Sorry, girls. Sunburst, Moondance, can you still fly?” Mizuki muttered.

The Pegasi gave a whinny of approval and leaped into the air like it was effortless. 

“That’s what I’m talking about! Now, take us back, will ya?”

The Pegasi bolted through the night, almost like shooting stars. 

After a solid landing, the three dragged the frozen trio off of the Pegasi. 

“Mizu, you handle the Cavalier and Pegasus Knight. Yashiro and I will handle the Lordling.” Kiria spoke. 

Yashiro flipped his hair out of his face. 

“Of course. Let us go, Kiria.”

The dancer nodded and spun on her heel, and a purple sigil lit up the night. The three of them vanished into a room, while Kiria and Yashiro tied Itsuki up. 

A red sigil appeared under Yashiro’s feet, as he sang a couple of notes. 

And suddenly the bluenette unfroze and looked up. 

“Where are they?” He said, voice filled with barely-restrained rage. 

“You’re in the hideout of th- wait, they?” Kiria started, before cutting herself off. 

“The Cavalier and the Pegasus Knight! Where are they?!” 

Kiria and Yashiro looked at each other. 

“What?” Yashiro said. 

Itsuki narrowed his eyes. 

“The hell kind of game are you playing?! Tell me where they are!” And electricity sparked from his hands. 

Kiria and Yashiro just looked confused. 

“You… actually care about your guards?” Kiria spoke. 

“Of course I do! They’re my friends!”

Kiria sang a quick note and froze him again. 

“Did we get the right prince…?” She muttered. “This blue-haired Lordling can’t be the heir to this hell of a country.”

“...We’ve only heard rumors, and this may be a front. Kiria, you saw his hands spark. Performa. He’s acting in some way, and that may be it.”

“You know that emotional stress can also cause the sparks. And there’s nothing more stressful than being kidnapped and knowing your friends are in danger.”

Yashiro’s eyes narrowed. 

“I don’t trust him.”

“Neither do I, I’m just playing Grima’s Advocate here.” She breathed. “The Lordling’s first words after finding himself in a strange and unfamiliar place were to ask after his friends. I wouldn’t expect a selfish dastard to do that.” 

“For the love of the Gods, Kiri! You’re too sympathetic! He’s the enemy!” 

Kiria breathed in and out a couple of times. 

“...You’re right. His parents should pay a handsome ransom of all the excess Performa for their heir back. And we can get some info out of him.” 

Still, Kiria frowned. Yashiro stiffly touched her arm. 

“You know what this is for. All the people who lose their strength from the lower levels. The world is powered by Performa, and she’d cry if she knew how the royals were siphoning all her power for the upper city.”

“Right. ...And we need to avenge Ayaha, and there’s not enough strength in the lower cities to do that.”

...What they didn’t know was that Itsuki was still conscious enough to hear. 

_...Siphoning power…? Ayaha…?_

Yashiro melted Itsuki again and before either of them could talk, Itsuki spoke. 

“What did you mean?”

Kiria looked over confusedly. 

“About… the royals. My parents. About them siphoning power.”

Yashiro uncrossed his arms, and his eyes widened slightly. 

“...He… he doesn’t know…?!”

And then he shook his head. 

“More lies. Tell me, why do you care so much for the Cavalier and the Pegasus Knight? Are they more of your noble friends?”

Itsuki looked up. 

“Tsubasa and Touma? No, they’re both commoners.”

Kiria’s eyes widened. 

“Tsubasa…? And she looks like that…?!” 

Yashiro looked over, his eyes narrowing. 

Kiria just kept speaking. 

“Tsubasa Oribe…?!”

Itsuki’s hands sparked once again. 

“How did you know that? I never said anything about her surname!”

Kiria and Yashiro had matching horrified looks on their faces. 

_She was the one person we were supposed to protect!_


	7. Chapter 7

Before they could speak again, Mizuki beamed back into the room. 

“The Cavalier and the Pegasus Knight! We tried to question them, but the moment they were unfrozen…”

The sound of gentle singing reached the room. 

_ In the white light... _

A blast of wind filled the hall in front of them. 

_ A hand reaches through… _

The swirling whirlwind blew through the door. 

_ A double-edged blade cuts your heart in two… _

Two blades of wind cut through the ropes around Itsuki, and a third blade came for Mizuki, Kiria, and Yashiro. 

_ Waking dreams fade away, embrace the brand new day! _

Tsubasa appeared through the whirlwind and grabbed Itsuki’s hand. 

_ Sing with me a song of birthrights and love… _

Tsubasa’s delicate voice flew through the air, a sharp contrast from the wind around them. 

_ The light scatters to the sky above! _

The pair of them reach the door, and run into Touma, who had taken the guards out. 

_ Dawn breaks through the gloom, white as a bone, lost in thoughts all alone... _

And the three bolted into the dawn light, running into the forest as fast as they could. 


	8. Chapter 8

The three of them bolted as fast as they could, before ending up in the lower cities. 

Touma shifted his eyes around the city, and immediately grabbed a cloak from a merchant. 

“Here, Itsuki! Put this on!” He whispered, while throwing a small coin pouch onto the Merchant’s table. 

Itsuki did as he was told, while attempting to take in the sights of the lower city. 

“We’ve gotta work twice as hard for half as much down here…” Touma said, narrowing his eyes. “I hope everyone’s okay.”

“Everyone?” Tsubasa asked. 

“My family. I hope they’re okay.”

Itsuki looked over. 

“You’ve got four brothers and one sister, right?”

“Yeah.” 

And then they heard the sound of a twig cracking behind them. 

Tsubasa and Touma drew their lances, before seeing a familiar flash of green hair. 

“Run!” Tsubasa yelled, before the three of them bolted through the streets. 

Touma veered off to the side and motioned for the other two to follow him. 

They ran, and Kiria kept pursuit. 

“Damn, she knows this place…” Touma muttered, before spinning on his heel and doing a backflip. 

A bright red sigil appeared at his feet and a blast of flames knocked Kiria down behind them. 

“Okay, run while she’s stunned!” Touma yelled, as Tsubasa and Itsuki followed him through the streets. 


	9. Chapter 9

Touma bolted down the streets of the lower cities as fast as his legs could take him. 

Tsubasa and Itsuki followed him, undeterred by his speed. 

And then Touma skidded to a stop in front of a house. 

“This is where my family lives.” He muttered. “My sister… she’s training to join an acting troupe. If the two of us gain enough status, we can move our family up to the upper city and live better. She’s the only one home right now, the rest of the family went to visit some relatives.”

He knocked on the door, and a blonde girl opened the door. 

“Huh…? Touma?! What are you…?” She said. 

“Ellie. Hey. This is my sister.” Touma said, introducing her. “Ellie, these are my friends, Tsubasa and… Itsuki.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. 

“T-The prince?!” She whisper-screamed. 

“Yes, now quiet down!”

Ellie stepped aside and let the three of them inside. 

“I’m sorry, milord, my brother didn’t let me know you were coming, and we don’t have much.”

“It’s alright. I don’t need anything.” Itsuki replied, pulling his hood off and shaking out his blue hair. 

Ellie looked almost shocked. 

“I… I didn’t know the prince would look so… normal.” She muttered. 

“He’s more down to earth than you know, Ellie.” Touma said, patting her on the head. 

“Stop doing that, Flash Bastard.”

“Says the Diva!”

Tsubasa looked on sadly. 

“Kinda reminds me of Aya…” 

Itsuki gave her a side hug, and everyone took a moment to relax. 

A couple of breaths and a soft moment. 

“It’s more run-down than I expected down here.” Itsuki muttered. “I didn’t know that it was so bad.”

Ellie spoke up. 

“Well maybe if you royals stopped taking all the Performa for yourselves-” 

She immediately slammed a hand over her mouth, and Itsuki raised an eyebrow. 

“Taking all the Performa…? This is the second time I’ve heard something like that, and…”

Touma looked over, a shocked look in his eyes. 

“...You don’t… you don’t know…?!” 

Tsubasa’s eyes flit to the door, before looking back at Itsuki. 

“So you don’t know why they came for you.” She whispered. 

“No, I don’t…”

Touma sighed and breathed slowly. 

“Okay, do you feel the heaviness around here?”

Itsuki hadn’t realized it until now, but there was a heavy feeling around this area. 

“Yeah, actually.”

Tsubasa looked up. 

“That’s the field of energy around here. It siphons Performa from everyone slowly. The longer you’re down here the lower your Performa levels get. And, as you know, Performa powers magic. And magic… powers the world.”

Ellie spat, and spoke up again. 

“And you goddamn highborns put it up!” 

Itsuki’s eyes widened. 

“W-What?! That… that can’t be…!”

Touma shook his head. 

“Believe it, Itsuki. It’s been like this since your parents rose to rule. At least, that’s what I’ve heard. We obviously weren’t alive during your grandparents rule.”

Itsuki just sat there in shock. 

“I… I can’t believe this. I need to talk to my parents.”

“They won’t listen.”

Everyone turned their heads to Ellie after she said that. 

“You’re not what I expected.” 

She grabbed a bow off the table and drew it. 

“I’m sorry about this, but this is for so many people. Kiria!”

The familiar green-haired girl leaped through an open window and sang into her mic stand. Before anyone could react... they were all frozen. 


	10. Chapter 10

The next thing Itsuki felt was a knife at his neck and a pair of hands tied to his own. 

A black-haired boy with piercing gray eyes obscured by glasses was the one holding said knife to his neck. 

“Try singing again, Pegasus Knight. If you do… the Lordling gets it.”

“Don’t call me that.” Itsuki muttered, on pure instinct. 

Tsubasa stayed silent, while Touma looked shocked. 

“Ellie… how could you…?!”

The three of them were exhausted and tired. Tsubasa couldn’t sing if she tried. 

Kiria threw the door open, and walked in with Ellie and Yashiro. 

“Tsk, tsk… leaving before the party’s over? So rude!” Kiria mocked. 

Ellie looked at Touma. 

“I’m sorry, Touma. This is… for the greater good.”

Touma looked over with rage. 

“The guard isn’t loyal to them! We’re loyal to our only hope for the future, Ellie! That’s Itsuki! He’s a good person, we know that!”

“And?! We need change now, and the only way to do that is to threaten the royals with the only thing they care about! Their heir!”

Itsuki looked up at the black-haired boy still holding the knife to his neck. 

_ He doesn’t want to kill anyone. None of them do. They want to protect themselves… and I can’t blame them for that.  _

Yashiro finally spoke up. 

“Ignore them. Our leader would like to speak to the Lordling.”

_...Come on, why does everyone call me that? _

Ellie stepped back, while Kiria’s eyes glittered. 

“Maiko?” She said. 

A woman stepped out of the shadows at that. A woman in the garb of a thief. 

“That’s right.” Maiko spoke up. “Now, Lordling… I have a few questions.” 


	11. Chapter 11

“...Maiko Shimazaki…?!” Itsuki muttered. “Well, if that’s you, then…”

Everything suddenly clicked into place in his head. 

“Kiria Kurono and Yashiro Tsurugi. The dancer must have been Mizuki Shima… and…” Itsuki looked up at the boy holding a knife to his neck. “Ren Amamiya, right? Former singers, dancers, models, and actors that all fell from grace after the Mass Disappearance.”

“Finally figured it out, eh?” Ren muttered. “That’s right. We were all disposable. We used to be adored, but they left us without a second thought.”

Itsuki slowly remembered. 

Almost every rebel in this room spoke out in support of their friends. 

...And one by one, they had career-ending scandals. 

Yashiro fell first, being blamed for the Mass Disappearance. 

Kiria fell next, having spoken out against the hate for her friend, and then suddenly having allegations of an illicit relationship with one of her producers staining her record. 

Then came Mizuki. She danced in support of Kiria and Yashiro… and had her stained criminal record brought up. She had killed someone in self-defense, and when that came out? Career suicide. 

And then there was Ren. The model was incredibly outspoken in his support of the common people, and of his fallen friends. And then he was put on probation for assaulting a noble. 

Lastly came Maiko. The model-turned-president was practically a mother to those she employed at her agency, and she didn’t take it well when they were all forced to the ground. She quit almost immediately when they fell, and moved directly to the lower cities with Kiria and Yashiro. 

“How did I never notice it before…? None of it was true, was it?” Itsuki muttered. 

“No.” Kiria said, leaning against the wall. “But, we’re not here for that. Mo-” 

She cut herself off. 

“Maiko?” 

Maiko drew her swords and smirked. 

“So, Lordling… when’s the next ‘talent scouting’ event?”

“I’m not sure.” Itsuki muttered. “Also, please, don’t call me that.”

Ren pressed his knife into Itsuki’s neck, and a small trickle of blood began to fall. 

“Are you sure about that?” 

Itsuki thought for a second. 

_Okay, so I can tell them it’s set to be in the upper city’s lowest ring, near the gate… or I can tell them that I don’t know._

Itsuki looked into the black-haired boy’s eyes. 

_He has a master poker face, but his eyes reveal everything. That must be why he wears the glasses…_

The knife dug deeper into his skin, and he felt more blood spill. 

“Upper city. Lowest ring. Near the gate. Now, please… at least let them go.” Itsuki motioned to Touma and Tsubasa. 

Maiko’s eyes widened slightly, before she regained her composure. 

“Let them go, eh?” She muttered. 

Touma’s eyes narrowed. 

“I’m not leaving without him.”

Tsubasa spoke up. 

“Neither am I.” 

Maiko had a guarded look in her eyes. 

“Ellie. The redhead is your brother, right?” 

The blonde looked up. 

“Yeah.”

“...It’s your decision then. You’re the one closest to this situation, do whatever you think is best.”

Ellie didn’t even try to hide her shock. 

“But, Maiko-”

“It’s your choice.”

Kiria knew what this meant. 

_She wants to let them go… but she doesn’t want to show weakness._

Ellie began to weigh her options. 

_He’s my brother, and I screwed him over. As much as I argue with him… I still love him. And the Pegasus Knight… she didn’t do anything wrong. She’s just trying to protect someone she cares about._

_...There’s only really one option here._

“Let them go. We have the information we need. Holding them any longer will just draw attention. When the guard finds out that we’ve been holding the prince, we’re done for.”

Yashiro’s eyes flashed. 

“What the hell, Yumizuru?! They’re traitors, all of them!” 

He drew his sword, but Maiko quickly put the both of hers to his neck. 

“Yashiro. I gave her the choice. She made it. Understand?” 

Yashiro bit his lip, while Kiria put a hand on his arm. 

“Relax. She’s right, after this we’ll need to move to another location. Come on, Yashiro.”

The boy shook her hand off and sheathed his sword, and Maiko retracted her own. 

Yashiro then disappeared into the shadows, the angry look remaining on his face. 

Kiria disappeared into the shadows after him, while Ellie and Ren untied the three of them. 

Ren slashed at the ropes with his knives, and looked at Itsuki straight in the eye. 

“Don’t think this means you’ve won, Lordling. I don’t trust you, and I don’t think anyone here will.”

Ellie rushed to untie Touma, with an apologetic look in her eyes.

He shoved her aside. 

“Ellie. That’s it. You’ve chosen your side, and I’ve chosen mine.” Anger flashed in his eyes. “I thought I could trust you.” And he grabbed Itsuki and Tsubasa by their hands and stalked away.   
  


  
Ellie watched them walk away, and she felt her resolve strengthen.

“This is the last time. After this... we’ll be able to save everyone down in the lower cities. And then... well...”

  
  
She looked down at her feet.   
  


“Touma, why can’t you see?! This is for the good of everyone!”

Ellie’s blue eyes flashed with Performa.

“I’ll show you myself. He might be nice now... but they’ll all end up the same. Power is all they care about, and the Lordling will be no different! You’ll see someday!”

Her hair crackled with static.   
  


  
“You’ll regret it all when he rises to the throne and becomes just as bad as his parents!”


	12. Chapter 12

“I didn’t think she would do that. I guess we’re not safe anywhere.” Touma muttered. “I’m so sorry…”

Itsuki placed his hand on Touma’s arm. 

“It’s alright. She’s your sister, you thought you could trust her. I would have done the same.”

Tsubasa looked up. 

“I used to trust Aya with my life. She and I used to argue sometimes… but we really cared about each other. So I get that you trusted your sister. Let’s just move on.” 

Touma leaned against an alley wall and tilted his head down. 

“Yeah. It’s hard, knowing that someone I trusted with my life betrayed me like that. But, then again, it’s happened before. Why wouldn’t it happen again?” 

Touma shook his head and plastered on his best smile. 

“Anyway, sorry for bringing the mood down! We should probably head back to the castle before they change their minds, right?” 

Tsubasa and Itsuki nodded their heads and paced their way to the upper city, sneaking in through a crack in the wall. 

Meanwhile, the rebellion was having a strategy meeting. 

Maiko sat at the head of the table. 

“They know who we are. We’ll have to move on the king and queen soon.” 

Kiria pointed at the map they had out on the table. 

“If we can trust the Lordling… they’ll be right here. At the next scouting event. Where they have people compete for the right to live in the inner city, away from the field. Makoto, take over?” 

Makoto nodded and began to speak. 

“We all know it’s a trick. In reality, they’re looking for people with incredibly strong Performa to kidnap and force them to fight in gladiatorial contests. It’s sickening.”

Mizuki looked up. 

“So, what’s the plan?” She muttered. “My disguise abilities might help me sneak into the event.”

“Mizuki, please reconsider asking your sister to help. We need as many people as we can.” Kiria spoke. 

“No. I’ve said it multiple times. Haru Shima is  _ not _ entering this rebellion. The most I will do is take her pegasus out at night. Anything more is far too dangerous, understood?” 

Kiria bit her lip. 

“Alright. I understand.”

“Good.”

Yashiro changed the subject. 

“However, you were right on one front, Mizuki. We want you to become a mysterious dancer.” 

The girl smirked. 

“So, who’s my cover?”

Ren looked up. 

“We decided on the name Lucid. We want you to be very unrecognizable as yourself, but otherwise, go wild. Be whatever you want, Mizu.” 

The girl smirked. 

“Alright then.” 

A purple sigil appeared at her feet as she spun on her heel, and then her hair began to change. The midnight black turned into a sandy brown. It suddenly shortened, and her purple eyes turned brown. The ribbon between her hands disappeared. Her dancer’s dress turned into a gray uniform. 

“What do you think?” She asked. 

“Isn’t that the Kishimai High uniform?” Ren asked. 

“Oh, you caught it. Thought it would make me look less suspicious if I looked like a schoolgirl.”

“Half of us here are leading double lives as school kids and rebellion masters.” 

“That’s true, and that’s why no one suspects us!” 

Ren and Kiria let out soft chuckles at that. 

Yashiro rolled his eyes and brought everyone back to the task at hand. 

“Thieves, you come in next. When Mizuki knocks them dead with her ability, she’ll obviously be their next target. Your job is to keep tabs on her and stop them before that happens.”

Ren’s eyes glittered. 

“Makoto, Ann, and Ryuji. And Futaba, of course.”

Yashiro let out a rare smile. 

“You’ve got a whole plan arranged right now, don’t you?”

“Have you met me? Of course I do.” 

The plan was set. Ren and his Phantom Thieves planned for as many contingencies as they could. Mizuki and her Ostinato Musicians worked to get her Performa levels up. 

And Kiria and Yashiro? They reported all the details to Maiko. 

And afterwards, they dove into the forest, searching high and low for the best places to hide. 


	13. Chapter 13

Itsuki, Tsubasa, and Touma reentered the palace and garnered the attention of a couple of people. 

“Where the hell have you three been?!” Minako said, bolting over to them. 

Another redhead narrowed her eyes. 

“Akagi, you know that you can’t slack off.”

Touma snapped back. 

“I wasn’t slacking off, Captain Kirijo!”

Tsubasa lowered her voice and whispered only to the two women in front of them. 

“The rebellion kidnapped us… but they let us go for some weird reason.” 

“H-Huh?! Are you three alright?! I can’t believe I didn’t notice the rope burns and cuts…” Minako almost yelled. She sang a couple of notes and healed the kids up. 

Mitsuru’s face revealed a guarded concern, unlike the intense concern on her companion’s face. 

“Minako, they might be…” 

Minako looked at the trio in front of her. 

“What’s something that only the real three of you would know?”

Tsubasa, Touma, and Itsuki looked at each other and winced. 

Tsubasa spoke up. 

“Stop Touma Abuse started when I fell off Maho. Directly onto Touma. Who was trying to do a backflip. That… didn’t end well.” 

And then Touma picked up where she left off 

“I ended up breaking both my legs and an arm and cracked three ribs.”

Minako breathed slowly. 

“Okay. It’s the real you. I’ll accept that. Now, tell us everything.”

Itsuki spoke up. 

“I don’t know. We were unconscious the whole time. Next thing I knew, I was in the forest.”

Touma and Tsubasa locked eyes and barely suppressed quizzical looks. 

“R-Right…” Tsubasa said. 

Touma just nodded. 

Minako and Mitsuru both raised eyebrows at that. 

“...Okay…” 

And the pair walked away. 

“So they’re lying?” Mitsuru muttered.

Minako nodded, but kept dragging her along. 

“They have a good reason. You and I both know that our last hope lies with the little Lordling over there. He’s one of the very few sane nobles, like you.”

“Our job as nobility is to provide for those under us. Some people don’t understand that.”

“That’s right… Mitzi.” Minako smirked. 

“Don’t-”

Minako began to laugh. 

“This is how commoner friendships work. Annoying nicknames galore.” 

Mitsuru cracked a smile and lightly pushed her companion. 

“Ha! Ice queen is smiling!” Minako cackled. 

Meanwhile, our trio was incredibly confused. 

“Itsuki… what was that?” Tsubasa muttered. 

“I need to confront my parents, and right now I can’t afford them to be tipped off about what the rebellion might be planning. I can warn them after I get my answers.” The bluenette muttered, shaking his hair out. 

Touma’s eyes widened, and he lowered his voice. 

“Okay, I dislike your parents as much as the regular commoner, but are you sure you want to make an enemy of them?”

Itsuki’s eyes narrowed. 

“...If what you’ve been saying is true, then they’re the enemy of you two. And any enemy of yours is an enemy of mine.”

“Aww!” Touma and Tsubasa said in unison. 

Itsuki cracked a small smile. 

“I don’t know what this feeling is, but it gives me strength.”

And… it was barely noticeable, but his hair changed for a split second. Frosted tips grew from his short, blue, hair. 

And he walked off towards the throne room. 


	14. Chapter 14

The throne room was decidedly elegant. 

…Itsuki had never liked it. It always felt cold and unapproachable. 

But he had a mission. A resolve. 

“Mother?” He said, his voice dropping into the monotone voice he reserved for dry company. 

“Yes, Itsuki?” Queen Marie spoke up. 

“...I heard about the field around the lower cities. What the hell is going on?”

The queen’s eyes shifted back to Itsuki. 

“My son… how did you learn this?”

“How I learned it doesn’t matter. I want to know why.”

“...Darling. You have to accept that we’re a different class from those under us. We are above them. That Cavelier and Pegasus Knight you’re so fond of… they’re less than us. It’s not okay to entertain them as much as you have.”

Itsuki’s hands sparked, and his voice rose. 

“They’re still _people!_ Mother, how could you?! You know that the more Performa is drained, the worse your mental state gets! And I care about my friends!”

Queen Marie poured a cup of tea and sat on her throne. 

“Let’s take an example here. Kirijo’s skills are unmatched… but her values are off. She doesn’t realize that we are just different levels of humanity. I don’t understand her and how she could give someone like Takeba the time of day, much less marry her. She is wrong. Just like you are.”

The electricity in Itsuki’s palms began to grow. 

“Maybe she likes Yukari for her personality! That’s exactly why I’m friends with Touma and Tsubasa! They’re… they’re good to me!”

Queen Marie sighed and rolled her eyes. 

“Go to your room. It’s pretty obvious that you’ve been corrupted by some members of the guard. Your father will be back in a couple of hours, and we’ll decide on punishments then.”

Itsuki’s eyes widened, and the electricity from his hands abruptly stopped. 

“I-!”

“Don’t say a word. The talent-scouting event is tomorrow, and we’ll be finding a new fighter.”

Itsuki opened his mouth to question…

And then a crack sounded and Itsuki felt himself wince in pain. 

_Wha…?! Did I just get slapped?!_

The look on his mother’s face confirmed it. 

“Not another word. To your room, now!”

Itsuki nodded and left quietly, before entering his room. 

_...Fighter…?_

The next morning was when a plan would be set into motion. The next morning was when Lucid would make her debut. 

And Itsuki saw the petals of a Torch Ginger fly by his window. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just want to point something out because it’s going to be a bit confusing otherwise. μ is pronounced as Myu/Mu.

Mizuki fiddled with her short brown hair. 

“It’s almost my turn. Sweet-P?” She muttered. 

“Here I am! Mizuki-chan, it’ll be tricky to make your Performa emit a unique shine.” Sweet-P said. “That’s where Aria and μ come in! Some magic was able to shrink them to pocket size, and now they’ll be able to use their Manakete skills to help you from right under their noses!” 

Mizuki smirked. 

“Good. I can’t have someone recognize my unique light.” 

_Uniqueness. Each person’s Performa is slightly different. And now I need to make sure that no one notices that it’s me._

Aria flew over in her small size, and sat on Mizuki’s shoulder. 

“Hey, you! Good luck! You’re the best dancer here!”

Mizuki chuckled. 

“Thanks, Aria. Where’s μ?”

“She’s coming!” 

And as she said that, μ flew into the room. 

She sat on Mizuki’s other shoulder, and smiled. 

“Let’s go!” 

Mizuki got up, and Aria and μ flew into her pockets. 

“Let’s get this show on the road.” She said, and she grabbed a Torch Ginger from the vase in front of her. 

She weaved it into her hair and smirked. 

“...Reincarnation. That’s the song I’ll be dancing to. Let’s go!”

Mizuki stepped out when the name Lucid was called, and the plan was put into motion. 

_I’m breaking down! All the walls that I’ve built around my lonely heart now!_

Twists and turns, steps and leaps, all on a stage. 

“This is what I was made for!” Mizuki says to herself. 

The ending came far too soon for Mizuki. 

But she loved the applause. 

And she bolted off the stage, meeting a couple of people when she stopped running. 

“Great job, Mizu.” Kiria said, smirking. “Let’s go.”

Yashiro’s eyes flickered. 

“...Acceptable.”

Mizuki put a hand on her hip. 

“Shut it, Tsurugi. I still haven’t forgiven you for passing up my training back when we were running the show.”

“...”

“...Fine! Fine. Let’s just go.” 

Kiria rolled her eyes. 

“Please, can you two just get along?” She muttered. 

“Never.” They said in unison.

They waited in the middle of the city. 

And then night fell. 

It was a tense night. Kiria and Yashiro had fallen into the shadows, while Mizuki read a tome. 

She could feel the eyes of the Thieves on her. 

And then she heard the sound of someone running. 

_There they are._

Mizuki drew her sword and smirked. 

“Show yourself!” She yelled, and they did. 

Three people. 

“Just come quietly, girlie!” One of them said. 

Mizuki ran over to a wall and flipped off it 

She sent a blast of ice over to them, and it froze them for a second. 

But a blast of fire came for her, out of nowhere. 

And she notices a fourth person. 

“...Who…?!” 

The woman stepped out of the shadows. 

“Surprise, ‘Lucid’!” She said. 

“S-Sora?! But you were…!” 

“Not anymore! Mizuki Shima, you’re coming with me! I’m a member of the queen’s elite guard now!”

Mizuki’s eyes grew cold, and an icy wind began to spin around them. 

“What did you do to the thieves?!”

“Oh, I just knocked ‘em out. Their Performa levels were already low. They’re not coming.” Sora’s piercing blue eyes gave off an aura of malice. 

Mizuki stepped back. 

“...You… I hate you! Sora, you’re dead to me!” 

And she spun her sword and chucked a blast of ice at Sora. 

Mizuki began to run. Fast. 

But before she knew it, a blast of fire knocked her over. 

_Ugh… no! This wasn’t the plan!_

And then Mizuki fell unconscious. 

The next morning, the thieves awoke and realized that they had lost. She was gone. 

Futaba tried to detect Mizuki’s signal. 

“Ugh… at least this field doesn’t drain Sciencia. I’d be dead by now.” Futaba muttered. 

Ren’s eyes widened at that. 

“Don’t say that around here, Oracle! People might hear. You know how Idola treats Technolians after the Mass Disappearance. There might still be some of the Royal Guard around.”

Ann whipped the ground beneath her. 

“Damn it… we didn’t save her…! The last thing I remember is that… Sora! It was her!”

Ryuji looked up. 

“Fuckin’ hell… I didn’t think she’d betray us.”

Makoto shook her head. 

“Guys, we don’t have time for this! We’ve got to report back!” 

Everyone quieted down at that. 

Futaba kept looking at the screens around her. 

“...Mizuki… I’m sorry…”

Only one thing was left behind from the girl. A lonely Torch Ginger. 


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning came around, and Itsuki heard familiar voices from the dungeon. 

“Unhand me!” 

“Hey, let her go!”

_ Mitsuru? Minako?  _

Itsuki heard people walking up and hid behind a pillar. 

He then snuck into the dungeon, and ran towards the source of Mitsuru and Minako’s voices. 

What he saw there shocked him. 

“H-Huh?!” 

Mitsuru, in a cell. Minako, talking to her from outside. 

“Itsuki! Quiet down!” Minako whisper-screamed. 

“What…?! Why are you…?!” 

Minako cast a silence spell on the boy, and quickly explained. 

“Okay, long story short, this is Mitzi’s ‘Punishment’ for ‘corrupting’ you. Touma and Tsubasa might be getting the same punishment… if the Guard can find them.”

And then she winked. 

“Any questions, Lordling?”

Itsuki just pointed to his mouth. 

“Oh. Right. Silence. Let’s fix that.” 

She quickly reverses the spell and Itsuki immediately starts questioning the redhead. 

“Where are the-?!”

Minako cuts him off with a raise of her hand and slips a piece of paper into his hand. 

“Minato and Yu have a strategy meeting over in the lower cities. Along with their new apprentices, Red and Wings.” 

Itsuki looks at the paper. An address. 

“Thanks…”

And he turns to leave, but then something clicks in him. 

“I’m not leaving without you two.” He smirked. 

And Itsuki stares at the door. 

He raises his hand. 

And he tapped the lock. 

It unlocked immediately. 

“Locktouch.” He smirked. “I don’t even need the keys!”

Mitsuru bolted out, and Minako smiled. 

“Let’s get out of here.” Minako said. 

A girl looked over from the cell behind them. 

“Hey, Lordling. Remember me?” She muttered. 

Itsuki looked over. 

“...I’m sorry?”

The girl rolled her eyes. 

“These cuffs block Performa. I can’t switch back. It’s me, Mizuki Shima.”

Itsuki’s eyes widened. 

“What are you doing here?”

She frowned. 

“I was the winner of the last talent scouting event. I’m joining the fights tomorrow.”

“The fights?”

Mizuki’s eyes flashed. 

“Do you know anything?! The fights that they force the winners into. Fights to the death. They need a ton of fresh blood because… well, death. I guess you’ll enjoy seeing me die in the arena.”

Mitsuru’s arms fell into a crossed position. 

“It’s disgusting. Do you know her?” She asked. 

“...She’s a member of the rebellion.” Itsuki muttered. 

Minako’s eyes looked sympathetic. 

“Hey, Lordling… rebellion or not she’s going to die at some point, whether from malnutrition or from being killed in the arena. She’s a person, and I think you’ve learned the truth about your parents at this point. It’s a choice now, and most of the guard will stand with you. The royals or the people?”

Itsuki looked up. 

And he thought. 

_ There isn’t even a choice. She’s a human, just like the rest of us. _

Itsuki quickly tapped the lock on her cell and her cuffs. 

“Come with us, we’ll get you out of here. Somehow.”

Mizuki looked shocked. 

“Huh…? What’s your game, Lordling?!”

Itsuki rolled his eyes. 

“Please. Can everyone just stop calling me that?”

Mizuki and Minako spoke in perfect unison. 

“No.”

They then looked at each other. 

“Wow… did we just…” 

“...Agree on something?”

They looked at each other, and once again spoke in perfect unison. 

“...Oh no.” 

Itsuki looked up. 

“Okay, how are we getting out of here?” He muttered. 

Minako smirked. 

“There’s a secret passage down here. Follow me.”

She and Mitsuru walked through the twisting and turning passages in the dungeon, and then they finally stopped. 

“Here. Just push on this wall, and…” 

Minako’s hand sunk into a brick, and a small door opened. 

“Here we go! Remember how we discovered this thing, Mitzi?” 

Mitsuru rolled her eyes. 

“We didn’t discover it, you threw your brother into it and he hit the brick with his foot.”

“Details, Details!” Minako said, a smirk on her face. “And don’t act like you’re not the same with Aki and Shinji.”

“...Got me there. Either way, let’s get out of here. Most of the guard is loyal to you and us, rather than the King and Queen. We just have to avoid The Seven.”

Itsuki quickly remembered just how dangerous The Seven were. 

_ The Seven. Seven people that answer to the king and queen and no one else. Sora Suzuki, Takaya Saiki, Yatsafusa Hatanaka, Jin Shirato, Shuji Ikutsuki, Tohru Adachi, and Eiji Biwasaka.  _

_...They’ll do anything it takes to get ahead. No one is even sure if they’re truly loyal to the king and queen.  _

_ And they’d kill us with zero hesitation if they found us out.  _

Itsuki suppressed a shudder. 

And they ran outside, four fugitives leaving the upper city. 


	17. Chapter 17

Minako bolted through the streets with as much sureness as Touma. They quickly reached a house. 

...And the sound of yelling quickly reached their ears. 

The four quickly drew weapons and ran into the room. 

Kiria, Yashiro, Ren, and Ellie were facing off against Minato, Yu, Touma, and Tsubasa. 

“Listen, we don’t want to hurt anyone, we just want to know where Mizuki is!” Kiria spoke, her voice growing. 

“And I’m telling you, I don’t know!” Minato yelled. “We have a common enemy at this point, listen to me!”

“Guys! Calm down, I’m here!” Mizuki yelled, and it drew everyone’s attention. 

Kiria dropped her mic stand and practically tackled Mizuki in a hug. 

“How did you get out?!” She said. 

Mizuki’s eyes shifted back to the trio behind her. 

“The Lordling… he let me out.” 

Everyone’s eyes widened at that. 

“Itsuki… you let her out?” Touma asked. 

Tsubasa shook her head, almost as if she couldn’t believe it. 

Itsuki opened his eyes. 

“Yes. I did. She was going to be forced into an arena, and I couldn’t let her die.” 

Kiria and Yashiro exchanged quizzical glances. 

“You let out your enemy… because you didn’t want her to die…?” Yashiro muttered. 

“Yes. I’ve finally realized what my parents are doing, and it’s absolutely insane.” Itsuki said. “I don’t want to support them anymore. I know I’m young, but I’m technically old enough to rule. And if you were to overthrow my parents, I can promise you that my first act as King would be to take the field down.” And he placed a closed fist on his chest. 

“What are you saying, Lordling?” Ren muttered. 

“...I…I’m on your side. I’m with the rebellion. We have a common goal here, and that’s protecting the people. First things first, field goes down. Next, the fights stop, that’s barbaric. Fighting should be reserved for those who wish to do so, for their country. Then, we focus on using our strength and gold to develop the lower cities. I don’t want anyone to ever go hungry.”

Ellie’s eyes narrowed. 

“You’re not planning to cause some chaos or take even more from us?” 

Itsuki looked over with a questioning look. 

“Why would I do that? My family has more gold than we could use in 20 generations! It’s better to use it to invest in our people.”

Mitsuru placed a hand on her chest. 

“You’re going to restore your family name. I will do the same, and I pledge my loyalty to your cause, Prince Itsuki.”

Itsuki’s eyes gained a bit of their characteristic playful glimmer. 

“Mitsuru, when have you ever needed to call me Prince Itsuki?”

Mitsuru smiled. 

“Right, Itsuki.” 

Minako put her hand on her hip. 

“You know I’m with you, Lordling!” 

Touma and Tsubasa looked over resolutely. 

“When have we ever gone against you?”

“We’re in.”

Minato practically mirrored his sister when he put his hand on his hip, and his resolute nod said it all. 

Yu smiled. 

“Well, looks like all of us are in. It’s been a while since I felt like myself.” 

And he pulled a pair of glasses out of his pocket and put them on.

Itsuki looked over to the members of the rebellion near them. 

“I understand if you can’t join me. My family has done so much harm. But… if you can, I would appreciate it.”

Kiria opened her mouth, but before she could speak… the door burst open, and a young girl ran in. 

“Kiri, Yashi! The Seven tracked us down, and they’ve got Mom, the Thieves, and the Ostinatos!”

Kiria exchanged a look with Yashiro. 

“No!” Kiria said, looking at the girl. “Mamori, how did you escape?! Maybe we can use the same way to get back in!”

Mamori shook her head. 

“They let me go! They told me to say that they wanted to fight the two of you, and if you won, they’d let them go!”

Yashiro narrowed his eyes. 

“There’s no way in hell they’re giving us a fair fight. Especially not after Sora betrayed us. We need a plan.”

Itsuki looked up. 

“...I know their identities. All seven. I’ll give you the info right now, if you want. I’ll even help you take them on. 

Kiria and Yashiro looked up. 

“...It looks like we don’t have a choice here. We need to trust the Lordling if we want to save everyone.” Kiria muttered. 

Yashiro thought for a second. 

_...Damn it, there’s no other choice!_

He nodded and Itsuki began to explain. 

“Sora Suzuki’s the most dangerous. She’s able to drain your Performa with a single touch. Don’t let her touch you on any exposed skin and you’ll be fine. Tohru Adachi is strong but he gets bored pretty easily. He’s crazy, but focus on the others. He’ll only fight if it’s necessary. Eiji Biwasaka has no qualms about killing you, he’ll burn you alive if he can. He once killed a family because they discovered his embezzlement. Jin Shirato and Takaya Saiki are always together, they’re incredibly strong when they team up on you. Don’t underestimate them. Shuji Ikutsuki… he’s got a savior complex. He thinks Death is the way to save everyone. He’ll probably freak you out. And Yatsafusa Hatanaka… his Performa is incredibly strong. He can and will obliterate you given the chance.”

Kiria put her head on top of a closed fist. 

“Long story short, they’re dangerous.”

“Yes. Incredibly. Not even I can control them.”

Mamori looked up. 

“I know you can do this! I’ll be right here, supporting you!” And she pulled an axe out of nowhere. 

“...How is a child handling an axe twice her size…” Minako spoke up. 

Kiria smiled. 

“That’s Mamori’s secret. She’s been training for a while now. She wants to become a Knight, but that’s not going to happen for a while. However, she can definitely handle an axe. We’ve been working on some special armor that she can handle at her age.” 

Itsuki looked up. 

“So… is she Maiko’s daughter?”

“Adoptive daughter, but yes. We didn’t want to involve her in this, but she got dragged in anyway.” 

“I’m afraid to ask, but how did she get dragged in…?”

Kiria’s smile fell. 

“She won the talent scouting competition.”

Mitsuru’s eyes widened. 

“What the hell?! She’s eleven!”

“I know. They were planning to force a child into the arena. It’s absolutely disgusting! But after she found out, she insisted on helping us. And… well, here we are.” Kiria finished. “Okay, so we’ve got someone with fire, right? That’s bad news for me, I’m attuned to ice.”

Yashiro looked up. 

“I can try to take as many of those hits as possible. Fire attuned, so it’s not going to hurt me too badly.”

“If we’re doing this, I can try to tank some hits too.” Touma muttered. 

“Ooh, and I can blow some of them out with my wind!” Tsubasa yelled. 

Minato and Minako looked at each other. 

“She, Yu, and I are Elementals. We can take some hits too.” Minato spoke up. 

Everyone widened their eyes at that. 

“There are other Elementals?!” Ren yelled. “I’m one too! I thought Goro and I were the only ones!”

Minato smirked. 

“I should have known. You give off the aura. That makes five Elementals, and five more people to take fire hits. If we can grab Junpei and Yukiko, that’s seven. With Touma and Yashiro, we’ve got nine. You might think that’s overkill, but the bastard’s strong.”

“Ten, actually. Ann.” Ren added.

Minako nodded. 

“I’ve only met Biwasaka once… he’s very violent. He seems pleasant, but you can tell it’s all an act.” 

Itsuki raised his hand, and everyone fell silent. 

“You can’t just focus on him. You can’t do much about Suzuki, she’s Light Attuned.”

“Once again. Elemental. And I’m primarily Dark.” Ren said, with a smirk. 

“But doesn’t that make you weak to her?”

“Yes, but I’m fast. I’ll strike before she has a chance to react!”

And the black-haired boy spun his knife. 

Itsuki put his hand on his desk, and everyone pounded out a plan. 

“This is it. Come on, Lordling. Let’s see if we can really trust you.” Kiria muttered. 

Ellie fell into step beside Touma and Tsubasa. 

Touma narrowed his eyes, but didn’t speed up. 

Itsuki threw a cloak over his body, and smiled. 

“Let’s go save your friends.”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is skippable, just ship fuel, but please, read the ending notes. It’s important to the future of the fic.

Kiria and Yashiro walked ahead of the rest of the team. 

Kiria took a deep breath. 

“Yashiro. We’re getting to the end. I want you to know that…” 

“What?” The purple-haired boy replied. 

“...I…”

“Spit it out, Kiri. We’ve been friends for years, you can tell me anything.”

“I’m in love with you.”

Yashiro stopped in his tracks at that statement. 

“W-What?”

“I know, the timing’s off, and we’ve been friends for so long that it might make things weird, but there isn’t another time to say this. We might die in a few minutes. I want to die with no regrets.”

Yashiro practically froze.

“Kiri. Listen to me. There is no way in hell I’d let this affect our friendship.”

“But?”

“...You know how we both are. Neither of us are in a position to start a relationship. Not when we’re so close to ending this.”

“...Of course.”

“...But that doesn’t mean we can’t think about it once we’ve finished this.” 

Kiria’s eyes widened. 

“...That sounds good. We’re both surviving this. I’m not dying before we can figure this out.”

“Same here. We’ll figure it all out… once we’ve brought sanity back to this country.”

The pair locked eyes and nodded. 

_ Let’s end this.  _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if you’re here, you read the addition to the description. This thing’s going on hiatus. I feel burned out, and I can’t figure out how to write the confrontation. I was able to get this small thing out, but that’s it for now. I need a break. Thank you for your support up till now, and I’ll be back soon!


	19. Chapter 19

Ellie and Tsubasa fell into step beside each other. 

“So… you’re Touma’s sister, right?” Tsubasa said, breaking the silence between them. 

“I am.” Ellie said, her tone curt.

“Uh, o-okay! So… let’s try to get to know each other! What’s your favorite color? Mine’s pink!”

Ellie rolled her eyes. 

“Okay, look, Tsubasa? I am not in the mood to talk to one of the prince’s lapdogs. I know that the Lordling is going to turn out just as bad as his parents, and that we’re going to do this all over again. He’s young and idealistic, but once those nobles get into his head, there’s no going back. Kiria’s too soft, she’ll believe his sob story. Yashiro’s smart, he knows not to trust that blue-haired dastard.”

Tsubasa’s eyes grew dark. 

“Alright, Ellie, you’re going to listen to me. I’m loyal to Itsuki because I know he’s a good person. I’m no one’s lapdog, I’m his _friend_. I was raised in the upper city off of my sister’s fame. He was the only one who treated me like I was a person! I saw her vanish before my eyes! I don’t know what Sciencia did to her, but she’s gone, and I’ve been feeling that loss ever since! And I know damn well that Itsuki was there for me, even though he was a prince! He’s one of the best people I know! So…” Tsubasa clenched a fist. “So you can just fuck right off!”

She raised her fist, and was about to strike, but…

“Tsubasa! What are you doing?!” Itsuki yelled. 

The blue-haired girl turned around, and Itsuki grabbed her hand. 

“We’re on the same side. Leave her be.” 

Tsubasa’s eyes widened. 

“But, Itsuki! She insulted you!”

“No buts! Whatever she said, that doesn’t justify hitting her!”

Touma bolted over. 

“Ellie, I get it, we’re enemies now, but can you please not do this when we’re trying to save your friends?!” 

Ellie’s eyes narrowed. 

“...Fine. But that doesn’t mean I’ll talk to you or your ‘friends’.”

Touma had a heartbroken look on his face. 

“A-Alright…”

Kiria ducked under a tree and announced herself to the team. 

“We’re here…”

Minako glanced through a window, and saw the situation inside. 

“Suddenly, I’m very glad that we grabbed some of our teams…”

Mitsuru, Yukari Takeba, Akihiko Sanada, Junpei Iori, Fuuka Yamagishi, Shinjiro Aragaki, and Ken Amada stood behind Minako and Minato. 

Yosuke Hanamura, Chie Satonaka, Rise Kujikawa, and Yukiko Amagi stood behind Yu.

Tsubasa and Touma grabbed their lances, and Itsuki drew his sword. 

Kiria spun her staff, Ellie drew her bow, and Yashiro and Mizuki solidified their grips on their blades. 

“This is it.” Itsuki muttered. “Kiria, Yashiro? You two know the workings of this place better than anyone. Where do the rest of us go?” 

Yashiro bit his lip, while Kiria quickly spoke. 

“There’s a secret entrance in the back. It's a false panel. Ellie, show them where. Go in when I give the signal.”

Ellie crossed her arms, but nodded. 

“Follow me.” She said, and everyone did as she said. 

Kiria and Yashiro looked at each other, and popped the door open slightly. 

The spirit of the Destroyer and the heart of the Vanguard quickly solidified within them. 

Nothing would stop them from protecting those that are dear. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m back~


	20. Chapter 20

Kiria pushed the door open and felt an oppressive heat within. She glanced over and noticed a bluenette, Yusuke, and a girl with a voice-changing mask on, Kuchinashi, suffering from being constantly exposed to their weakness. 

_ I might be Ice… but I’m glad I have a unique weakness right about now. It’s too hot, but I’m not close to death.  _

Yashiro tapped her on the shoulder and motioned to the source of the heat. Eiji Biwasaka, with short brown hair and a red glyph under his feet. 

“Biwasaka! Stop it, you’re hurting them!” She yelled, spinning her mic stand. 

“Ah, you’re here.” He said, turning on his heel. “I knew you’d come. You know our terms, I assume?”

Yashiro nodded silently. 

Sora laughed and spoke up. 

“So, where’s the girl? With that ambush you have planned?”

Kiria’s eyes widened slightly, but she quickly evened her voice out. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no ambush. It’s just us two. We left Mamori in a safe location.”

Sora smirked. 

“I don’t think you’d be that stupid.”

“We’re honorable, not stupid.”

Eiji’s eyes had a maniacal look, as he cracked his whip and smirked. 

“Well, you’ll be dead soon enough. Dying honorably doesn’t mean much.”

And he lunged. 

Kiria flipped out of the way and sung a note. A bolt of ice flew from her hands and barely grazed him. Sora grabbed her staff and called for the other five. 

“Give it up. We’re just a higher caliber of human.” Sora whispered. 

Kiria took a deep breath and yelled as loud as she could into her microphone. 

“NOW!” 

And the secret entrance bursts open and the room is flooded with people. 

“I told you! They obviously had an ambush planned!” Sora yelled, to no one in particular. 

Everyone else sighed and rolled their eyes, while the Thieves and the Musicians smiled. 

Mizuki smirked, and a pair of black guns appeared from her hands. Technolian magic. Their weapons looked quite different from the Idolian Carnages they knew so well. The Catharsis Effect, born from deep emotions and understanding of oneself. Learning about the mysteries of the world makes them stronger. 

“How I miss Miyabi sometimes. But, guess who I found!” 

A few people that Kiria didn’t recognize appeared behind Mizuki. A girl with a lance, a boy with a claymore, and another boy with a pair of gauntlets. 

“Suzuna, Kensuke, Kotaro? Let’s move!” 

Yu and his team were on the frontlines, while the Arisato Twins and their team bolted to the other side, attempting to mount a sneak attack. Mizuki and her team quickly began releasing the cuffs around each of the Thieves and Musicians’ wrists. 

“Hell yeah! It’s never too hot for me!” Ann yelled, leaping up the moment the cuffs left her wrists.

She summoned her whip and quickly threw a strike.

Spells flying everywhere. Attack after attack. Pushing The Seven back as fast as they could. Noble and commoner. Fire and Ice. Electricity and Wind. So much power flying through each person’s hands. 

And a song starts coming from Kiria and Tsubasa. 

_ A burdened heart… _

Ice and wind fly toward The Seven

_ Sinks into the ground… _

Tsubasa’s hair begins to rise slightly, and her body starts to glow pink. 

_ A veil falls away without a sound… _

The same thing happens to Kiria, except it’s a purple glow. 

_ Not day nor night… _

_ Wrong nor right… _

_ For truth and peace you fight! _

The glow begins to overtake their bodies. 

_ Sing with me a song of silence and blood! _

_ The rain falls but can’t wash away the mud! _

_ Within my ancient heart dwells madness and pride, _

_ Can no one hear my cry?! _

_ You are the ocean’s gray waves, destined to seek life beyond the shore just out of reach! Yet, the waters ever change, flowing like time, the path is yours to climb! _

Suddenly, their hair began to grow longer. Their outfits changed. 

_ You are the ocean’s gray waves... _

Their eyes opened, and they began to attack with everything they had. 

Itsuki looks over at them with shock. 

“A Carnage Form...” he whispered in awe. “Only the best of the best can achieve one…”

The Seven are blown out of the hideout by Tsubasa, and she turns around. 

“I… I never knew that a Carnage Form could be this powerful…!” She said. 

Kiria spun her mic stand. 

“This is really weird, but it’s pretty damn powerful.”

Itsuki’s eyes widened. 

“I can’t believe you were able to do it! Barely anyone can! I’ve never even met someone who’s unlocked one!”

Tsubasa looked at herself in one of the ice crystals that was left behind. 

“This… this is me…! My Carnage Form! I can’t believe it!! I did it!!!”

Yashiro gave a proud nod, while Touma and Ellie’s eyes almost popped out of their heads. 

Tsubasa’s thoughts ran wild.

_ With this power… maybe I can find out what happened to Aya!  _


End file.
